Bicycle-bell.



, Patented la'n'. 8, |90I. T. B.. MOFFAT. K

" BICYCLE BELL.

-Application Med Hay l2, 1900.1

{No Iodol.)

THEODORE B. MOFFAT, OF PITTSTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

BICYCLE-BELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,452, dated January 8, 1901.

Application filed May 12,1900. Serial No. 16.468. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEoDoRE B. MOFFAT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittston, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Bicycle-Bell, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to bicycle-bells, and more particularly to that class of such bells known as chime-bells, and it has for its object to produce a device of this kind which can be cheaply manufactured and quickly applied to a machine and can be conveniently operated when needed. It is so constructed that it can be readily changed from a chimebell to an ordinary single bell, and vice versa.

With this object in view my invention consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement of the parts of a bell, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numerals indicate' corresponding parts in each of the views in which they occur, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved bell applied to a machine in position for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the bells. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken through the center of the bells looking downward, and Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective detail views of the bracket and ringer-support, respectively.

In practicing my invention I provide a bracket which is preferably formed from two parts 1 and 2, which are rigidly secured together at one end and detachably secured together at the other by means of a clamping-bolt 3, the intermediate portions of said bracket being bowed away from each other for the reception of the fork4 of the machine to which the bell is to be applied. The rigid ends of the two portions are bent at right angles to each other, as shown at 5 and 6, and preferably in different planes, the outer end of each angled portion or arm being perforated.

A substantially L-shaped ringer-frame is pivotally secured upon the angled portion 5 by means of a rivet 7 through the arm 8 of the frame, and the outer end of the other arm 9 is perforated for the reception of the operating-cord 10. A substantially V-shaped spring 11 is secured with its ends through said perforation and the perforation of the longer arm or angled portion 6 of the bracket and is preferably provided with a coil 12 for normally holding the arms and 9 away from each other.

-The ends of the arm 8 are preferably bent at right angles to the main portion, as shown at 13 and 14, and perforated for the reception of the shaft 15 of the ringer-wheel 16.

The lower end of the shaft is riveted to prevent its removal from the frame, and, if desired, a washer 17 maybe inserted between its head and the lower end 14. The rin ger-wheel is preferably formed from wood or other suitable material in the form of a stem., the upper end of which is expanded into a wheel for engagement with the tire of the bicycle. Secured to the stem portion of the wheel in any suitable manner-as, for instance, by means of a screw-eye 18-isa ring or clapper 19, which is so arranged in relation to the bell or bells that whenever the wheel is rotated by the tire of the bicycle the ring will be thrown outward by centrifugal force and caused to strike 'the edge of the bell with sufficient force to give a sharp clear loud signal of warning. Projecting upwardly and outwardly from the central portion of one of the members 1 of the bracket is an arm 20, the outer end of which is supplied with one or more bells 21, which may be secured thereto by means of a bolt 22 in the usual manner. If two bells areused, the outer oneis preferably made of sufficient size to envelop orsubstantially cover the inner one and is separated therefrom by means of a washer 23.

When two bells are used to form what is known as a chime, the ringer is provided with two rings or clappers 19 instead of one, one of which is larger than the other, so that it will have a greater radius when being operated than the other one. From an examination of Fig. 3 it will be seen that the axis of the ringer is located in front of the bells and at such a distance therefrom as to prevent the smaller ring from reaching the outside bell asthe ringer is revolved, thereby permitting of its only striking the smaller bell. The larger ring will strike the outer bell and rebound therefrom as the ringer is rotated; but before it can resume its normal IOO position caused by said rotation of the ringer the ringer will have carried it so far past the smaller bell that as it is swung outward it will not engage the smaller bell, thereby causing it to only strike the larger bell. In this manner the two rings,being preferably located upon diametrical sides of the stem of the ringer-wheel, will alternately engage with the larger and smaller bells, and thereby ring them alternately, causing a chime or musical elfect. If desired, either one of the bells can be quickly removed and the device changed from a chime to a single bell.

In operating my invention the bolt 3 is removed and t-he free arms of the bracket are slipped upon opposite sides of the fork oi the wheel and rigidly secured thereto by the reinsertion of the bolt. The upper or flanged portion oi' the ringer-wheel normally stands at a short distance below the tire of the wheel, so as not to be engaged thereby. When it is desired to sound the alarm, the rider pulls upon the cord IO with sufficient force to swing the ringer-frame upon the bracket sufficiently to cause the expanded portion of the ringerwheel to engage With the tire of the bicycle and be rapidly rotated thereby. As the ringerwheel is thus rotated the rings upon the stem are thrown outward and are caused to strike the edges of the bells with suiieient force to sound a distinct warning or signal. Upon releasing the cord lO the spring 11 instantly expands and withdraws the ringer-wheel from its engagement with the wheel of the bicycle and the bells are silenced.

As above described, it will be seen that my improved bell can be made simple and cornpact, of little weight, and having a few number of parts, which can be made entirely from stamping, thus avoiding the necessity for heavy and costly castings. It can be applied to the bicycle at one side of the wheel, so as not to interfere with the brake mechanism, and can be operated by a direct pull upon the cord, which is secured to the pivot-frame, so as to render it easy to operate. The gongs are rigidly secured and are fastened directly to the frame, thereby avoiding jar and indistinct sound, and are secured to the fork upon the same side with the cord and can be secured in position with a single screw or attaching device.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a bicycle-bell, the combination, with a bracket comprising two parts rigidly secured together at one end and detachably secured at the other, the rigid ends of said members being bent in opposite directions, of a bell upon the bracket, an L-shaped ringerframe pivotally secured to the bent end of one of the members, a spring between the bent end of the other member and one arm ot the frame, a ringer-wheel journaled in the other arm of the frame, and a cord for swinging said frame upon its pivotal point to throw the ringer-wheel into and out of engagement with the bicycle-wheel, substantially described.

2. In a bicycle-bell, the combination, with a two-part bracket, said parts being rigidly secured together at one end and detachably secured at the other, the rigid ends being bent in opposite directions and in two planes, a bell upon the bracket, an L-shaped bracket, one arm of which is pivotally secured to the bent portion loi" the shorter member of the bracket and the other arm is in aiinement with the bent portion of the longer member of the bracket, the ends of the pivoted arm oi` the bracket being bent outward at right angles and perforated, a shaft journaled in said perforations, the upper end ol' which is provided with a ringer-wheel, a ring loosely mounted upon the stem of the wheel in position to be thrown into engagement with the bell, a substantially V-shaped spring between the ends of the arm in alinement with each other, and a cord from the free arm ol the frame, substantially as described.

In a bicycle-bell, the combination with a bracket provided with means for securing it upon a wheel, of two bells mounted upon the bracket, one within the other, the edge of the inner one projecting beyond the edge of the outer one, a ringer-frame pivotall-y secured in front of the bells in position to be moved into and out of engagement with the bicycle-wheel, and two elappers upon the ringer-wheel in position to be thrown into alternate engagement with said bells, each clapper always striking the same bell, substantially as described.

4. In a bicycle-bell, the combination, with a bracket provided with means for detachably securing it upon the fork of a bicycle, an arm projecting outwardly and upwardly therefrom, two bells of different sizes secured to the upper end of said arm, the smaller one of which is within the larger one, and a ringerwheel pivotally mounted at one end of the bracket forward of said bells, the stem of which is provided with two rings loosely secured thereto, one of which has a greater radius of movement than the other, the radius of the smaller ring being only sufficient to permit of its engaging with the smaller bell, substantially as described.

TI-IEODORE B. MOFFAT.

Witnesses:

D. A. MANGAN, E. J. ScHooLEY.

IOC

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